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2023 Q3 Review and Outlook – The Bear Steepener
Markets took a step back in the third quarter as stocks (as measured by the S&P 500 SPDR ETF – SPY) lost 3.2%. The U.S. bond market (as measured by the US Aggregate Bond ETF – AGG) also lost 3.2%, and a 60% stock/40% bond portfolio lost 3.2%. (Yes, you read that correctly – stocks…
2023 Q2 Review and Outlook – A Market of (Seven) Stocks
The positive momentum continued in the second quarter as stocks (as measured by the S&P 500 SPDR ETF – SPY) gained 8.7%. The U.S. bond market (as measured by the US Aggregate Bond ETF – AGG) lost 0.9%, and a 60% stock/40% bond portfolio returned 4.8%. Year-to-date (YTD), stocks returned 16.8%, bonds 2.3% and a…
2023 Q1 Review and Outlook – Silicon Valley Bank Stirs the Economic Pot
Financial markets had a positive but choppy start to 2023 as stocks (as measured by the S&P 500 SPDR ETF – SPY) gained 7.5% in the first quarter. The U.S. bond market (as measured by the US Aggregate Bond ETF – AGG) returned 3.2%, and a 60% stock/40% bond portfolio returned 5.8%. Over the past 12…
2022 Q4 Review and Outlook – Closing out a Tumultuous Year.
Financial markets finished a rough year on a strong note as stocks (as measured by the S&P 500 SPDR ETF – SPY) gained 7.6% in the fourth quarter. The U.S. bond market (as measured by the US Aggregate Bond ETF – AGG) returned 1.6%, and a 60% stock/40% bond portfolio returned 5.2%. For the year, stocks declined…
2022 Q2 Review and Outlook – Welcome to the Bear Market
Financial markets continued their downward trend in the second quarter as stocks (as measured by the S&P 500 SPDR ETF – SPY) lost 16.1%. The U.S. bond market (as measured by the US Aggregate Bond ETF – AGG) fared a bit better, posting a -4.6% total return, and a 60% stock/40% bond portfolio lost 11.5%. …
Your Asset Allocation Depends On Your Financial Plan (and not the other way around)
~ Douglas R. Mewhirter, CFA, Vice President – Portfolio Manager One of the most common questions an investor will ask an advisor is “how much of my money should I have in stocks vs. bonds?” From an investing point of view, that is one of the most important questions you need to ask. Stocks have earned the highest…
Ask a Trust Officer: Cryptocurrency Taxes
Dear Trust Officer: Last year I bought ten Ethereum coins for $2,000 each. I was planning to trade them for an NFT (a non-fungible token), an art investment that has become popular lately. My coins are now worth about $3,500 each, and I’ve found the NFT that I want. Do I have to worry about…
2022 Q1 Review and Outlook – Stocks and Bonds and Yield Curves, Oh My!
2022 got off to a rocky start as stocks (as measured by the S&P 500 SPDR ETF – SPY) lost 4.6% in the first quarter. Surprisingly (or perhaps not surprisingly) the U.S. bond market (as measured by the US Aggregate Bond ETF – AGG) was down 5.9%, and a 60% stock/40% bond portfolio lost 5.1%. Over…
Ask a Trust Officer: Crisis Investing
DEAR TRUST OFFICER: What portfolio management steps should I take on account of the new war in Europe? —UNSETTLED INVESTOR DEAR UNSETTLED: First, depending upon what you own, an impact will be made on your portfolio by the actions taken by multinational companies, many of whom already have cut their ties with Russia. So even…
Estate Planning For Cryptocurrency
Digital currencies (or cryptocurrencies) such as bitcoin are not just a fad. They are resources with potentially significant value, which is why the IRS is increasingly focusing enforcement efforts on collecting data in this area. In 2014 the IRS ruled that cryptocurrency is “property” rather than currency. Accordingly, cryptocurrency is subject to capital gains tax…